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Environmental Engineering + Environmental Science

Design a low-cost water purifier for a household

Build a multi-stage filter and test turbidity and chlorine before and after.

  • DifficultyIntermediate
  • Estimated time2–4 weeks
  • Budget₹500–₹1,000
  • ClassClass 11 to college
  • Team2–4 people
  • You needHousehold materials

Prerequisites: None beyond your class work

Original · by TechnifyedEngineering DesignSocial Impact ProjectTwo subjects

My projects

Overview

Build a multi-stage filter and test turbidity and chlorine before and after.

Skills you will use

Cost analysisDesign for a userTesting

Safety

  • Take care near rivers, ponds and tanks: go with others and collect samples from a safe bank.

Materials and tools

  • Two buckets with a tap
  • Sand, gravel and activated charcoal
  • Cloth
  • Water test strips
  • Turbidity tube made from a bottle
Expected cost₹500–₹1,000About ₹800 at most, less if you borrow parts
Estimated duration2–4 weeks5 build steps, plus the report

Step-by-step roadmap

  1. Start

    You will finish with: a working filter, test results and a cost comparison with bought options.

  2. 1

    Prerequisites

    Nothing special to know first. Then collect the 5 items in the materials list.

  3. 2

    Learn

    Read up on water treatment: filtration, public health, water purification. Your textbook chapter and one short video are enough.

  4. 3

    Plan

    Sketch the design, list every part with its price and decide how you will know it works.

  5. 4

    Build

    1. Interview one household about how they treat water.
    2. Build a gravel, sand and charcoal filter between two buckets.
    3. Measure turbidity before and after with a marked tube.
    4. Test with strips for chlorine and hardness.
    5. Calculate the cost per litre over a year.
  6. 5

    Test

    Run it ten times in a row. Note every failure, fix the cause and test again.

  7. 6

    Document

    Photograph each build stage, keep the circuit or drawing, and note what failed and how you fixed it. Report structure

  8. 7

    Present

    Demonstrate it working first, then explain how it works and what you would improve. Presentation structure

  9. 8

    Publish

    Share a short video, the parts list and the drawing or code so someone else can build it.

Expected outcome

A working filter, test results and a cost comparison with bought options.

Other versions of this project

Advanced version

Add solar disinfection and test with a school lab for bacteria.

Working as a team

2–4 people. Suggested roles:

DesignHardware and buildCode or controlTestingDocumentationPresentation

Report and presentation

Report structure

  1. Title and aim
  2. The problem it solves
  3. How it works (principle)
  4. Parts list with cost
  5. Design: drawing, circuit or block diagram
  6. Build steps
  7. Testing and results
  8. Problems faced and fixes
  9. Limitations
  10. Future improvements
  11. References

Presentation structure

  1. The problem
  2. The idea
  3. How it works (one diagram)
  4. Parts and cost
  5. The build (photos)
  6. Live demo or video
  7. Test results
  8. What did not work
  9. Next version

Viva questions

Prepare your own answers to these before you present.

  • What is the aim of your project, in one sentence?
  • What is the principle behind it?
  • Why did you choose these materials or tools?
  • What result did you get, and was it what you expected?
  • What went wrong and how did you fix it?
  • How could this be improved or used in real life?

Resources

Water and waste water treatmentIIT Roorkee · Free course courseWater and Wastewater Treatment EngineeringMIT OpenCourseWare · Free course courseEffective Water Treatment MethodsAlison · Free course course

Source and attribution

Original

Written by Technifyed. Free to use for your own school or college project; write the report in your own words. Added 1 Oct 2026.

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